The Alistair Blog
Stories about the broken world of traditional financial advice, deep dives into our microtools, and updates on what we're building to fix it.
Why AI Is Eating Traditional Financial Advice (And Nobody Wants to Admit It)
The financial advice industry is a $5 trillion market built on a 40-year-old business model. AI isn't just coming for it — it's already here. Here's why the old guard won't survive.
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Alistair vs. Empower: The Dashboard or the Coach?
Empower gives you a free financial dashboard with net worth tracking and an investment checkup — then pitches 0.89% AUM wealth management. Alistair puts an AI financial coach in your pocket for $4.99/month. Which one actually makes you better with money?
Alistair vs. Domain Money: The Human-AI Financial Advice Showdown
Domain Money pairs you with a dedicated CFP for a flat annual fee starting at $2,900. Alistair puts an AI financial coach in your pocket for $4.99/month. Which path actually makes you wealthier?
Alistair vs. Range: Two Visions for the Future of Financial Advice
Range charges $3,950/year for a team of human advisors wrapped in software. Alistair puts the AI itself in the driver's seat — for $4.99/month. Which model actually delivers better financial guidance?
The Case for Self-Managing Your Money
The financial advice industry depends on you believing this is too complex to handle yourself. It's not. Here's why self-management is not only possible — it's the better choice for most investors.
Trump Accounts (530A) Explained: What Parents Need to Know About the New Children's Investment Accounts
Trump Accounts launched July 4, 2026, giving millions of U.S. children a tax-advantaged investment account with a $1,000 federal seed deposit. Here's how they work, who qualifies, contribution limits, and how much they could be worth.
Your Advisor's Credentials Just Became a Participation Trophy
GPT-4 scored 85% on the CFP, passed all three CFA levels, and aced all four sections of the CPA. The three hardest credentials in finance — and no human holds all of them. Your advisor has maybe one or two. What are you paying 1% for?
Introducing Alistair: AI-Powered Financial Coaching That Actually Works
After months of building, we're launching Alistair — an AI-powered financial coach you talk to like a human advisor, without the 1% fees, referrals, or 20-minute annual check-ins.
Meet the FIRE Calculator Microtool: Know Exactly When You Can Quit
The FIRE movement has millions of followers but most calculators give you a single number and bounce. Alistair's FIRE microtool walks you through every scenario — Coast FIRE, Barista FIRE, and the real math behind your number.
Meet the Rent vs. Buy Microtool: Stop Guessing About the Biggest Financial Decision of Your Life
Buying a home is the largest purchase most people ever make — and the advice you get is terrible. Alistair's Rent vs. Buy microtool does the actual math and helps you think through what no mortgage calculator will tell you.
Meet the Tax-Loss Harvesting Microtool: Your Portfolio's Hidden Tax Refund
Tax-loss harvesting can save investors thousands per year in taxes. Most advisors do it once in December if you're lucky. Alistair's microtool walks you through it anytime — here's how it works.
The $12,000 Handshake: What Traditional Advisors Really Cost You
A 1% AUM fee sounds small — until you do the math. Over 30 years, a typical advisor fee can cost you hundreds of thousands in lost returns.
"I'll Refer You to Someone for That": The Narrow Expertise Problem
Your financial advisor manages investments. But what about taxes? Estate planning? Insurance? Each referral is another fee, another relationship, and another gap in your financial plan.
2 Hours a Year: The Ugly Truth About Advisor Availability
The average client gets about 2 hours of actual advisor attention per year. The rest of the time, you're talking to an assistant, a junior associate, or nobody at all.
Why AI Is Eating Traditional Financial Advice (And Nobody Wants to Admit It)
The financial advice industry is a $5 trillion market built on a 40-year-old business model. AI isn't just coming for it — it's already here. Here's why the old guard won't survive.
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